Game



P. C. FERNANDEZ April 18, 1944.

' GAME Filed June 30. 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f/zl ell/af' zZ'z' afz rmmeg I W 5- Apt-i118, 1944. P. c. FERNANDEZ 2,347,094

GAME

Filed June so, 1943 2 sheets-sheet 2 fzzglfi dirmndez;

I WPM.

sections.

Patented Apr. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Philip C. Fernandez, Boston, Mass.

Application June 30, 1943, Serial'Nc. 492,940

1 Claim.

Thepresent invention relates to game apparatus designed to develop and test the players understanding of andskill in the conduct of international relations, such as the formation of alliances, treaty relations between nations and the conduct of war. For this purpose the game includes a playing board whichsimulates a map of the globe, playing pieces. representing the many items that enter into international relations, such asgold, treaties, industry, the several types of armamentfor the-conduct of war, and territorial pieces for the occupation of territory.

The board, which simulates a map of the globe is divided into several zones corresponding to the number of players and the territory in each zone is subdivided into territorial sections.

The playing pieces comprise territorial pieces sufficient in number to cover all the territorial Such territorial pieces bear indicia .on their-faces to indicate the zone to which. they belong and are of substantially the same size as the territorial sections on the map, being designed to be placed by the players on their respective sections and zones. In addition, the playing pieces comprise a predetermined number of pieces that are designed to correspond to various armament pieces such as battleships, aeroplanes, bombs or the like. On their faces, the pieces bear suitable indicia indicating the nature of the piece and also indicating its gold or point value in scoring.

The playing pieces preferably also include a number of gold pieces, as well as pieces representing industry, war, treaties, neutrality, surrender, and armistice.

All playing pieces are of the same size and shape so that they are indistinguishable when placedface down on the table or board prior to thedrawing. On their faces they each bear pictorial, word or other suitable indicia to distinguish the territorial pieces-ofthe .diiTerent zones, to indicate theseveral types of armament and the other playing pieces which are mentioned above. Only the territorial pieces are indicated as associated with the zones so that they can be played only by the player of the corresponding zone. The remaining pieces, however, can be played by any player holding them, and all pieces, including the territorial pieces, are valuable to the holder Whether for trading with the opposing players or for blocking an opposing player.

The playing pieces, it will now be understood, are of the same size as the territorial sections on the map. Each player isprovided with a suit number of such pieces.

able number of relatively small marking dice so that when he plays any. piece-other than a territorial piece he may placev a marker .on it to. indicate the .player. These markers bear suitable indicia .to indicate the, playeror the.players zone.

The specific construction of. theseveral devices employed in this game andthemanner of play will be understoodirom theaccompanying drawings and .thejfollowing description thereof.

In the drawings:

lillustrates the playing board.

Fig. 2 shows the several types of playing pieces.

Fig. '3 shows a rack employed .by each player for holding his pieces.

Fig. 4 shows one type of marker,.it being understood that there will be provided a suitable number of such markers for each player and bearing suitable indicia suchlas N, LS,.E or W.

Referring to-the drawings, 20 represents the playing board of any suitable. size and having printed thereon a simulation of a map of the world. The .map may be divided intoany number of zones, one for each player. As shown in Fig. 1, the map is divided into four zones marked 'N, E, W, and S. While the amount of landterritory ineach zone is not an important or essential part of the game, it is preferred that they should approximate each other.

Eachzone contains an area 2! which constitutes line territory of the player which he is to occupy With his territorial pieces. While as .shown each occupation-area is approximately square, it will be understood that it may be of any suitable or desired shape. The occupation areas 2 l in the four zones are preferably equal.

Each occupation area is divided into territorial sections 22 by lines-2i and such sections are equal to each other inarea'and'shape in all zones.

The board-shown in Fig.1 is designed for four players. Each player is assigned a'zorie'N, W, E, or S. After the zoneassignment, each player is provided with a rack 23 for holding his playing pieces in 'a manner to 'conceal'the faces of the "pieces from his opponents and to expose them to his own View. Each player is also assigned a suitable number of small markers 24 each bearing the zone indicia N, W, E, S, which are designed to be placed on his playing pieces as each piece is played by him.

The territorial pieces and all playing pieces are placed on the table face down and shuflled,

and each player then draws his share of the total Thus, in one form of the game there are 20 territorial pieces for each zone, and 104 playing pieces which are divided as follows:

pieces representing aeroplanes each marked 7 with their score value of 5 20 pieces representing bombs each marked with a score value of 2 /2 The score value on the armament pieces also indicates their relative strengths. Thus there will be a total of 104 playing pieces and 80 territorial pieces. It will be understood, however, that the number of playing pieces and territorial pieces may be varied without departing from the principles of the present game and that the distribution of the playing pieces between the different types may also be varied. It will also be understood that the types of playing pieces may be varied as desired.

In the specific form of the game illustrated herein, each player draws 46 pieces. After placing the pieces on his rack, each player will find that he has territorial pieces that belong in his own zone, and he may also have territorial pieces that belong to his opponents. Each player may also find that he has more than his share of some types of playing pieces and less than his share of others and perhapsncne at all of still other types of playing pieces. It will thus be seen that one of the essential principles of the present game is to divide the playing pieces which represent the elements of international relations, by chance.

For the first step in the play of the game, each player places his territorial pieces on the sections 22 of his zone. In this step he may use only the territory pieces that belong in his zone, the territory pieces being suitably marked to indicate the zone to which they belong. In this step all players may, if desired, place all their territorial pieces in their zones, or if desired each player may place one territorial piece in turn.

Because, as will be seen later, if a player does not have his territorial area 2| entirely occupied he may be invaded by one of his opponents, it

should be the aim of each player at the beginning If, i

of the game to occupy his entire area 2|. however, as is most likely to happen on account of the chance distribution of the territorial pieces, he finds himself short in his own territorial pieces, he should trade with the other players so as to obtain his own territorial pieces for completing the occupation of his area 2|. This trading, may, if desired, be conducted during the stage when the areas 2| are being built up by the players, or, if desired, it may be agreed that such trading should not commence until after the players have each played all their territorial pieces that they could properly play. The latter renders the game somewhat simpler and more expeditious. For the purpose of the present specification it is preferred that trading shall not commence until each player has displayed his territorial pieces in his area 2|.

At this point one of the players, preferably the player who played the greatest number of territorial pieces, commences the trading. The main object of trading at this point is for each player to seek to complete his territory. For this purpose he may offer to trade territorial pieces for territorial pieces. However, if he finds that he cannot trade on this basis, he may also conduct any type of trade that he deems wise for building up his strength. Thus, he may offer an opponent territorial pieces that the opponent may need or desire for gold pieces or for armament pieces. In general it may be stated that the trading stage of the game, is basic and important for it gives each player the opportunity to determine his future strategy, or policy in international relations and to trade in order to put himself in a position to execute his policy or strategy. Thus, if a player finds himself with such a preponderance in armaments that he can spare such armaments and still retain strong armaments, he may trade his armaments for territorial pieces. On the other hand, if he is weak in armaments he may ignore the completion of his own territory and seek to increase his armaments by offering to his opponents territory pieces for armaments.

It is to be expected that at the beginning of the trading stage there will be a good deal of trading of territory pieces for territory pieces, for each player will probably hold a number of territory pieces belonging to his opponents. But as trading progresses and the territories of one or more players approach completion then opponents will not be so ready to trade territory pieces on equal terms. For, as will be seen later, the player who has his territory completed has an advantage over an opponent with an incomplete territory.

In order that the game may progress in an orderly manner giving each player an equal opportunity to trade, each player takes his turn at offering a trade and he may offer only onepiece although he may demand more than one piece. but preferably up to a maximum of three pieces. Thus when a players turn comes he may ofier a territorial piece for 2 gold pieces or for a warship; or he may offer a warship for three bombs. It is not necessary to enumerate all the possible trades, for it will be understood that the game gives each player an opportunity to exercise h s skill and judgment, based upon the nature cf his own holdings and upon his observation of the trades sought by his adversaries,

At his turn a player may choose to trade or play but he cannot do both. Thus if in the preceding trade he acquired a territorial piece for his zone, he-may at his next turn play the territorial piece, in wich case he cannot complete a trade until'his next turn.

Trading may be-conducted by each player only .with the player at his left, or if desired, each player may, at his turn, be permitted to trade with any one of his adversaries. Thus if N has some E territory pieces he may offer to trade an E territory piece for whatever he may demand and the offer may ,be taken up by E and the trade completed. Or he may seek territory pieces of his own for which he may be willing to pay in gold pieces. He may then announce that he is offering a gold piece for one or two or three of his territory pieces, and the trade may then be completed. The latter form of gain leads to a more expeditious game and also maintains the active interest of each player in each trade, whereas the former, where each player is permitted to trade only with the player at his left, the game may progress more slowly and in a more orderly manner.

Each player is free to accept or reject any offer of a trade.

When in the course of the :trading stage of the game one of the players has completed his territory, this player, when his turn to play is reached may then proceed further with the type of game that his holdings warrant. Thus if another player has not yet completed his territory he may plan to invade his territory. Or, if he judges that the distribution of armaments warrants it, he may conduct war against one of his adversaries without an invasion. In either case he must hold an industry piece which he must play by placing the same in his own zone to show that he can produce armament. When his next turn is reached, he may then decide to invade the territory of one of his adversaries. This he can do only when his adversarys area 2! is not completely occupied by territorial pieces. This play of invasion is executed by the player placing his piece W, the war piece, on the vacant section 22 of his adversary. The invader also places a marker on the W piece to show the zone of the invader. When the invaded players turn is reached, he must respond with an industry piece to show that he can produce defense armaments. This play he executes by playing his industry piece in his own zone. At the invaders next turn he plays one piece of armament in the invaded zone and places one of his markers on it. The invaded player must answer with twice the strength of the attack. Thus if the attack was with a battleship, he must answer with two battleships or four aeroplanes or eight bombs. This process can be repeated as each players turn is reached. When the invader can no longer proceed with the attack or the invaded player cannot put up the required defense, or if for other reasons one player chooses not to proceed with the war, he may play the white flag, indicating a request for a truce. The other side may answer with the play of the armistice piece and they may then arrive at an agreement whereby the victor may demand up to one-half the losers armaments. If, however, the loser does not have a white flag, which would indicate that he does not have any strength to force an armistice on fair terms, the winning player collects all of his opponents armaments that were played on the board in addition to retrieving his own.

After the play of the white flag by one of the players, the other may choose not to play the armistice piece but instead he may choose to proceed with the attack by playing additional armament pieces. In such event his opponent may defend with only half the strength of the attack.

If a player wishes to declare war on an opponent without invading, he places his W piece in his opponents zone outside the area 2!, after he had previously played his industry piece. The attacked player must respond with an industry piece. The attacker, on his next turn plays an armanent piece in the zone of the attacked and the latter in his turn must respond with an armanent piece or pieces of equal strength. This proceeds unti1 one or the other player has exhausted his armament strength or until one or the other player refrains from putting up any more armaments on the basis of considerations such as the possibility that the other players may be strong enough to attack him or may have commenced an attack on him. When one of the players fails to put up any armament whether in attack or defense, he may put up a white flag and lose half the armaments he had played or if he fails to put up a white flag, he loses all the armament pieces he had played.

A player who finds himself with inadequate armament strength may put up the neutrality piece indicating that he desires to stay neutral. Should he then beattacked, then, the defender, who expressed himself as wishing to stay neutral, meets each attack with only half the strength of the attack. A player may also, if he wishes, seek alliances with other players. For this purpose he plays the treaty piece in his own zone. He may announce the specific player with whom he wishes to form an alliance, and the other player may accept or refuse when his turn to play is reached. He indicates his acceptance of the alliance by placing his treaty piece in the territory of the player who made the offer with a suitable marker. This consummates the alliance between the two players and the two players thus become partners and they share alike in losses and gains.

Only when two players are allied can they both attack one player; otherwise a player can be attacked by only one player. An attacker may, however, be attacked by another player.

If a player is not engaged in a war, he may during his turn play his armament pieces. Thus, if he plays neutral, the armament pieces serve as defenses in that any opponent who may wish to attack him will have to attack with double the strength the neutral has played. The game is ended when one player or a pair of allied players will have warred on each of the other players and becomes victorious. The score is determined by totalling the number of score points held by the winner over the score points held by his opponents.

It will now be understood that the present game apparatus can be employed in the play of a game which permits the players to exercise their skill and judgment of international relations.

Although a specific form of the apparatus has been described and specific rules of the game have been outlined, it will be understood that the apparatus as well as the rules of the game may be varied by persons skilled in the art, without departing from the invention and from the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A game comprising a game board having a map of the world depicted on its playing surface, said map being divided into a plurality of zones, one zone for each player, each zone including land and sea areas, each zone having a portion or portions thereof constituting an occupational area, such occupational areas in the several zones being equal, each occupational area being divided into an equal number of sections to receive territorial pieces in the play of the game, the remainder of each zone being available to receive both attacking and defending armament pieces in the play of the game.

PHILIP C. FERNANDEZ. 

